Prince Harry may face call-up
Defence Secretary Des Browne will brief MPs today on which military units will be sent to Iraq in April as part of a long-planned rotation of troops, said the Ministry of Defence.
A spokesman refused to reveal which units are involved, or to indicate whether Prince Harry’s regiment, the Blues and Royals, will be among those deployed.
But speculation is rife that the prince, who is third in line to the throne, will become the first royal to serve a tour of duty in a war zone since his uncle, the Duke of York, flew helicopters in the Falklands conflict in 1982.
Mr Browne’s announcement will come in a written statement to the House of Commons today, said the ministry.
Unconfirmed reports earlier this month suggested that the prince’s unit had been warned unofficially to expect a six-month tour of duty in southern Iraq starting in April. They are expected to be deployed as part of a Household Cavalry detachment as 1 Mechanised Brigade replaces 19 Light Brigade, which is returning home after a six-month tour of duty.
It is not yet known what duties the prince — known in the Army as Cornet Wales — will perform if he is sent to Iraq.
